Ogre Tones

King’s X has always been a curious band. Undeniably talented, but too heavy for anyone except a rock audience to embrace and always pushing the boundaries of what conventional rock fans will accept, they have isolated themselves into an impossibly small box. The press on this one says they’re going back to a more commercially acceptable direction and they’ve brought in legendary rock producer Micahel Wagener to help, but honestly, the songs still stray into some weird and unconventional directions at times. The irony is, what makes this band unique is what’s holding them back. Some of those little details that make other musicians think they’re brilliant, make them inaccessible to the casual listener. If you can get past some of that though, there are some awesome songs on this cd that I think everyone would like. Alone, Stay, If, Goldilox, Get Away and even the 7-minute Sooner or Later, started out as a great song … before it veered off into a five-minute guitar solo at the end. Oh well. You take what you can get from these guys. When they’re good, they’re great and when they’re weird … they’re King’s X. --Scott